SINT PIETERSKERK

At the center of the Grand-Place, St. Peter's Church is a masterpiece of Brabant Gothic art. Built between the ^15th and ^16th centuries, it should have been dominated by three high spires, but the instability of the subsoil prevented this from happening. From inside the building, it can be seen that the towers were never completed. Beneath the flamboyant ribs, a huge ^15th-century Brussels crucifix dominates the Gothic rood screen. Note the tombs of the Dukes of Brabant in the ambulatory and the two triptychs by the great ^15th-century Flemish primitive painter Dirk (Thierry) Bouts: The Martyrdom of Saint Erasmus and The Last Supper.

The church has been a listed historic monument since 1937, and its belfry has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999, as part of the "Belfries of Belgium and France" group.

The new layout, designed in 2020 following restoration work on the building, and the visitor experiences on offer are resolutely modern and digital. For example, visitors can be guided around the building using a tablet or HoloLens. This mixed-reality headset, which includes a mini-computer, headphones and cameras, projects holograms and 3D images to bring particular areas of the church or works of art to life. For those who don't feel up to the digital experience, a brochure and family itineraries, suitable for young children, are available to help you discover the history of the site and its treasures.